If there's an overarching rationale behind the rash of motor maladies, it's this: NASCAR teams never stop trying to squeeze as much horsepower as they can from power plants whose architecture is prehistoric by 21st-century standards.

With Scott Speed, a 23-year-old Californian who has become the first American to race in F1 since Michael Andretti in 1993, now thriving on the international circuit, some are asking F1 can be revitalized in America off the strength of his burgeoning young career.

It was just one of those days. I ran both races this weekend, the Busch race and the Nextel Cup race. We didn't qualify well with the Lowe's car in the Busch race but my crew chief Chad Walter and the guys worked so hard on the car all day long. We finished eighth.

It was a pretty up and down weekend for the M&M's Racing team this past weekend in Pocono. I was never very comfortable with my car on Sunday during the race but it looked as if we were going to pull out a top-10 or at least a top-15 finish. Instead we finished 21st after being penalized twice for speeding exiting pit road.

I used to find it troubling to see a great athlete marginalized. If the best receiver in NFL history were any further on the edges of the Oakland Raiders' vertically inclined offense, he would find himself horizontal in San Francisco Bay. As it is, Rice is running routes to Alcatraz, as evidenced by his production in the team's first two games: two catches, 12 yards (and none in the last seven quarters).